Edge Case Games’ space MOBAFractured Space is celebrating the Summer Games with an update bigger than a Romanian bodybuilder. Alpha update 18, code named “Olympian,” has just gone live and gives players lots of new ways to enjoy the game, making major changes to tech trees and instilling some national pride into matches.

Fractured Space is doing away with its old tech tree, which required players to unlock basic ships to get to the more specialized — but equally powerful — ships further along in the tech tree. Now, players can unlock ships in whatever order they please, for in-game credits or real-money purchases.

And you can decorate those ships with your national colors — assuming your nation is the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, or Russia. There’s also a pirate-themed “Jolly Roger” skin “for those with a mischievous streak.” Edge Case Games will track wins by ships sporting each nation’s colors and keep players abreast of which nation is winning the most games.

As for the game itself, Olympian adds two new sector maps and the new TDS Executioner ship, designed to warp in close to wounded enemy ships and finish them off. A new experimental mode will also debut later this month, a playtest servers that lets players try matches with modified rules sets, such as increased ship speed or damage, ideas that may someday be integrated into the main game.

Finally, Edge Case Games will be exhibiting at PAX West in September and invites all players, and prospective players, to stop by its booth to check out Fractured Space as it gets ready to transition from early access into beta this fall. You can get more information on the Fractured Space site.

the author

Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of
experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online
Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.